Using data as a force for good

TED@UPS asks: What if donating data was the future of corporate social responsibility?

Humanitarian crises can seem overwhelming. When thousands of people need to be fed and sheltered, it’s difficult to keep track of the logistics and choose the best aid options. But Mallory Soldner knows from experience that data philanthropy can be vital to finding the answers.

Companies can and must play a major role in using data to solve our big problems.

From her time as a graduate student to her work today as an advanced analytics manager, Mallory has spent years researching how to do the most good with the help of data.

In her TED@UPS talk, Mallory illustrates the three major ways that companies can fill the data gap for aid organizations. And she shows how some corporations are already donating cell phone data, satellite data and data tracking technologies to help humanitarian causes.

Mallory also explains when companies donate their data to aid agencies and government and academic institutes, they can find fresh insights that help their own business.